Chapter 25 Heather's POV

I stirred, my body still heavy with sleep, but something had pulled me from the cushy flowers of dream land. I lay there for a moment, trying to get back into sleep, but the noises came again. 

“Hmmmm..” I groaned in frustration, turning to lay on my stomach while tucking my hand underneath my pillow for comfort. The frown that had formed on my face began to disappear but was back again almost as soon as it tried to leave. 

“What the fuck is going on? Can't a girl just have her beauty sleep?” I groaned in frustration and finally snapped my eyes open. My eyebrows were dipped into a frown at my interrupted sleep. 

I strained my ears, trying to pick the noise again. They sounded faraway, but I could tell they were coming from the house. Darren and Kyle should be asleep, but given the kind of men they were, I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't.

I turned towards the table clock and it was half past 11 in the night. A knowledgeable that made me even more grumpy. 

“It's not even morning yet!?” 

I moved the covers off me and slipped my legs into my flip flops. If I couldn't go back to sleep, I could as well check out the cause for the noise. 

“So fucking annoying.” I muttered to myself as I made my way towards the living room. That was where I thought I heard the noise. 

And then I got to the living room to find it empty. My frown and frustration deepened further at the empty room. I looked around, but I didn't find anything that could've caused the noise.

“You've got to be kidding me. I'm hearing things now?”

I turned on my heels about to head back to my room when this feeling engulfed me. I was being watched. A shiver crawled up my spine and goosebumps decorated the surface of my skin. 

My neck snapped to the side as I turned around. I stared out the windows into the dark, trying to see if I'd see a figure or any flicker of movement. But out there was completely still. 

I turned and started walking towards my room, but I still couldn't shake off the feeling. I felt fear, the kind I hadn't felt in a while. The air around me felt heavy, in a kind of way I couldn't explain. Was this what they called sensing someone's murderous instincts? 

The thought of being the target of someone's plans made me hasten my steps. In no time, I walked into my room, securing the lock. I got into bed and threw the covers over me. 

“You're just imagining things Heather, the same way you imagined hearing noises coming from the living room, this is no different.” 

Those words I said to myself were meant to calm my nerves and give me back to sleep. But it failed. I was awake until my 6am alarm rang. I threw the covers off me, got up and stretched my stiff muscles. Unlike hours back, I wasn't feeling like someone wanted to kill me. 

“Good morning.” I greeted, the moment I got to the dining room. Darren and Kyle were already seated and like me, they looked like they hadn't slept all night. 

Kyle grumbled a response, but Darren gave me a brief glance. 

“Did you sleep well?” 

I shrugged my shoulders and took my seat. I grabbed the french toast and took a bite, chewing slowly. I couldn't help but feel something was wrong. There were no stares from Darren and no remarks from Kyle, they both look to be lost in thoughts.

“Is everything alright?” 

They spared me a glance at my question and just nodded their heads in response. Not even saying a word. 

I let out a deep breath and just focused on my food. The tension oozing from the both of them was almost suffocating, but it wasn't my place to interfere. We finished breakfast and soon I was left all alone in the house. 

“I miss working at the club.” I muttered to myself, feeling bored. Though those nights weren't easy, it was better than sitting my ass in bed all day. 

I tossed in bed, changing my sleeping position, but I didn't get to stay in that position for long when I sat up in alarm. That feeling of someone watching me was back.

The air felt thicker this time, it felt like a cloak of shadow engulfing me. That was when I concluded I might not just be imagining things and someone might actually be watching me. 

My gaze darted towards the open curtains and I couldn't stare out the window for long without feeling fear. My legs moved and I got out of bed, walked towards the curtain and pulled them close. 

“God this is creeping me out.” 

The sudden vibration of the phone in my hand made me yelp in fear. A hand flew to my chest as my heart hammered heavily against it. It was just a text message from Darren.

Darren: What would you like to have for dinner?

Right, it's almost dinner time. Fear had made me forget what I had learnt how to do best— count the time. On a normal day, I'd have given him a list of what I was craving, but tonight was different. My mind was bothered and I needed to occupy it with something else.

Me: don't bother bringing home takeouts, I'll make dinner. 

I turned off the screen but I was about to fix the phone into my pocket when it buzzed again. 

Darren: You don't need to stress yourself, I can buy dinner…just tell me whatever you want to eat. 

I shook my head at the text. What part of I'll make dinner does he not understand?

Me: I insist on making us dinner. Don't bother trying to convince me otherwise, I'm making dinner and nothing you say would change my mind or stop me.

I shoved the phone into my pocket as I headed out of my room and to the kitchen. Thankfully it didn't buzz again. 

I moved around in the kitchen, cooking while keeping my gaze off the window. If I wanted to forget about it, I needed to stop looking out the window. 

Minutes later, I turned off the stove, finally done cooking. Just then, I heard the front door open and a smile stretched on my lips. 

“Right on time.” I muttered to myself, grabbing the kitchen towels and bringing the pit down from the stove. 

“Something smells good.” Kyle's voice was the first I heard before I saw his face. 

“Wait till you taste it.” 

“I hope it tastes as good as you do.” Darren said, staring gently at me. I wouldn't lie, that comment brought heat to my legs. 

“I can assure you it tastes better….. you guys are right in time. Sit down, while I serve dinner. Unless you want to freshen up first.” 

“Nahh… I'd rather have mine now.” Kyle said, unbuttoning the first two buttons on his chest. He pulled out a chair and sat at the counter. 

“Me too.” 

I cleared out the counter holding the utensils I used in cooking before setting down the plates. I dished out the food before sitting to eat.

“Hmm… this is good…” Kyle threw a compliment, chewing slowly on his food.

“I told you it would taste good.” 

“But it doesn't come close to tasting how good you do.” Darren said casually without looking up from his plate.

“That's true.” 

I continued my food without a word, trying to pretend their words had no effect on me. The happiness and peace was soon short-lived as those thoughts came back again. 

I took my gaze away from my food for a brief second, fixing it on Darren. Almost immediately, his eyes met with mine and for a brief second we were caught staring at each other. 

I wanted to open my mouth, to tell him just exactly what was going on, but I didn't know if it was a good idea. Just staring into his eyes made me feel safe, but I soon took my gaze away. 

“Are you okay?” 

I raised my head at Darren's voice and I forced on a smile, nodding my head. 

“Yeah, why? I'm perfectly fine.” 

“Your eyes says otherwise.”

Kyle stopped eating for a second and stared at the both of us. 

“Tch… you're just overthinking it. Why wouldn't I be fine? What could be wrong.” 

The look on his face told me he didn't believe a word from my mouth but he decided not to push it. 

“You should've just told him.”

My subconscious pricked me, but I ignored it. My mood for the rest of the night was damp, and I was thankful Kyle and Darren didn't push it. That night, I slept late and my curtains remained closed. 

“Do you guys have to go to the office?” I asked the next morning as we sat for breakfast. I woke up in a really uneasy mood and staying home alone would only make me feel worse. 

“Yeah, we have work to do.” Kyle replied. 

“When have you guys not ever had work to do?” My voice held that grumpy tone, something that made Darren's eyebrows dip in a frown.

“It's a business establishment, there's always work to do.” 

Darren was the one who spoke this time. I bit my lips in frustration twirling my fork on the plate, uninterested in the food. 

“Can you not go– today?” 

“Why? Do you miss us that much?” Darren asked with a smirk on his face. 

Instantly I nodded my head. It was better agreeing to his assumptions than telling him exactly why I didn't want to be left alone in the house. 

“You've always stayed back alone, bear with it for another day.” Kyle said, shrugging his shoulders. My shoulders slumped in disappointment, but I refused to give up. 

“I can't stay alone todaylease don't go…. At least someone should stay with me.”

Darren stared at me with a suspicious look on his face, but I refused to meet his gaze. 

“Fine… Kyle, you go ahead and handle things at the office for today, I'll stay back with her.” Darren directed towards Kyle and a huge smile wiped off the grumpy look on my face. Relief flooded my face and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

“Aye aye captain.” Kyle replied, throwing his hand in a salute. 

After breakfast, Kyle left for the office and Darren left for his room, claiming he had something to do. I went back to my room and was just on my phone. After what seemed like an hour later, my door pushed open. 

“There's a thing called knocking, I could be naked.” 

“I've seen all of you, there's nothing to hide.” 

He walked towards my bed and sat on it, his face holding a serious expression. 

“Why did you insist I stay back with you?” 

I wasn't prepared for the question, thus my perplexed reaction. I closed my mouth after trying to find a good lie with no success.

“Heather… What's going on?”

I contemplated within me for a few seconds before deciding to just open up to him.

“I've been having this pressing feeling of someone watching me. It's so bad I feel fear almost all the time. I just could stay alone in the house today. I'm scared.” 

Darren lets out a deep breath and gnaws his jaw. His gaze fixed on my face but he's quiet. I stared at his calm features, feeling nothing but safe. I used to think Darren was a bad person, an Alpha that didn't care when he lost a member of his park. But these days I've spent with him, I've come to realise that my thoughts about him have been wrong.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I told him about my real identity. Would it?